Man would 'ride out' inquiry

By Steve Butcher

August 20, 2010 — 3.00am

POLICE claim a childhood friend of a man with a $1 million reward on his head for the murder of self-proclaimed vampire Shane Chartres-Abbott said he could ''ride out'' an investigation into his alleged involvement in the crime.

A detective from Taskforce Briars, established to investigate the 2003 shooting of Chartres-Abbott in Reservoir, yesterday said he received information that Warren Thomas Shea was confident he would not face charges.

Acting Detective Sergeant Steven Cuxson told Melbourne Magistrates Court that Shea contacted his friend Mark Perry three years ago and revealed that Shea had been summonsed to an Australian Crime Commission hearing.

Sergeant Cuxson said in evidence that Shea told Perry in a coded conversation about the murder investigation and that he needed to see Perry on the Gold Coast.

He alleged that Perry, with only the ''clothes on his back'', flew to Queensland the next day to meet Shea at a Broadbeach cafe where Perry was heard to say he was ''not going to take the rap for any of this shit [the murder]''.

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This was the first time investigators had had a positive sighting of Perry, but he had since disappeared, possibly overseas, Sergeant Cuxson said.

Chartres-Abbott was shot while he was on trial on charges of rape and assault of a woman who was Perry's former girlfriend.

While a man who cannot be identified was jailed for life in 2008 for murdering him and police have been investigated by Briars, the reward was issued last year to try to find Perry.

Shea, 38, born Warren Schievella, who was extradited earlier this year from Queensland, yesterday applied for bail, which police opposed, on charges that included trafficking a large commercial quantity of methamphetamine.

Magistrate Donna Bakos heard that police learnt through surveillance and telephone intercepts - used for the murder investigation - that Shea was involved in serious drug crimes.

It was alleged he had offended between 2005 and this year and had been implicated by three associates in one deal involving 2.7 kilograms of drugs worth almost $250,000.

Sergeant Cuxson agreed with defence barrister John Dickenson, SC, that Shea had not tried to flee Australia after learning he was targeted by Taskforce Briars. He conceded he did not know if Shea had helped Perry disappear.

Mr Dickenson submitted Shea could spent two years in custody before his trial. Strict bail conditions could address any risks, he said.

Prosecutor Andrew Tinney, SC, said Shea faced a ''compelling case of guilt'' and had brazenly trafficked drugs despite knowing he was being investigated.